Platform Policy Brief

No. 9 // December 2013

T Land in a post-2015 framework

Platform policy briefs outline the rationale for choosing a particular policy alternative or course of action in a current policy debate. They guide decisionmakers with their choices and advocate for a position Global Donor Platform for Rural Development Tackling rural poverty, together

By the global donor working group on land

// Land at the heart of sustainable development
Following a spike in the global interest in land and learning the lessons from the broadly successful MDGs, the international community is now increasingly recognizing how central the responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources is for sustainable development. This was confirmed through the adoption of the Voluntary Guidelines on Responsible Governance of Tenure of Land, Fisheries and Forests in the Context of National Food Security (VGGT) as the first ever globally agreed standards for the responsible governance of tenure of land. The VGGT are intended to promote secure tenure rights and equitable access to land, fisheries and forests. The process on sustainable development which has accelerated since Rio in June 2012 has further emphasized the need to address land under a post-2015 framework. // Entry points for land in a new global framework The High-Level Panel of Eminent Persons on the Post-2015 Development Agenda agreed in 2013 that the worlds foremost goal post-2015 should be the eradication of extreme poverty. People who live in poverty are always on the edge, vulnerable to shocks and losing their assets. The HLP report proposes a target on secure rights to land, property, and other assets as a building block for people to lift themselves out of poverty. It emphasises land and property rights for women, with a second land target under a gender equality goal. The Report of the Sustainable Development Solutions Network stresses the need to improve agricultural systems and to increase rural prosperity while eliminating the discrimination of women in land rights. The UN Global Compact equally proposes a target on full and equal access of women to ownership, property rights and land titles. A new Global Land Indicators Initiative facilitated by the Global Land Tool Network, aims to building stakeholder consensus on relevant indicators to support the land and property related targets in the post-2015 development agenda. The Report by the UN Secretary General to the General Assembly underlines the need to address land as an emerging consensus. A post-2015 framework should: Be universal yet responsive to regional and national capacities and priorities Be ambitious yet simple in design Prioritize ending poverty and reducing inequality Protect the planet, including its biodiversity, land and water Be rights-based

About the authors This policy brief was drafted by Iris Krebber (DFID) and Christian Schulze (Platform secretariat), reflecting the views of the members of the global donor working group on land.

Download This brief is available in PDF at donorplatform.org/publications. Hardcopies can be requested from the publishers at secretatriat@donorplatform.org

This consensus offers many entry points for secure land tenure and property rights and responsible governance to be prominently represented in a new global framework.

Platform Policy Brief I No. 9

About the global donor working group on land In 2013 the global donor working group on land was initiated to support enhanced delivery on improved land governance in a climate of heightened attention, need and awareness of existing challenges and lessons. The groups first work plan comprises four priorities: 1. Exchange information, help to coordinate, and, where possible, bring together work to develop a global indicator framework on land governance, e.g. to feed into CFS reporting on VGGT implementation, in particular by showcasing successful country efforts 2. Develop, launch and ensure regular updates for a new donor programme database 3. Coordinate views and inputs into the global debate on a post-2015 agenda for land and property rights and develop joint views wherever possible 4. Take forward new G8-facilitated partnerships on land announced in 2013, coordinate work with others, seek synergies, added value and expand and deepen these partnerships where possible (also beyond G8) Further information and ToR www.donorplatform.org/land/ global-donor-working-grouponland.html

TRECOMMENDATIONS
As the global group of donors on land we believe that__ A dual land and property rights target as proposed in the HLP report would be a very good outcome for the post-2015 negotiationsonce under a goal to eradicate extreme poverty and once under a goal to achieve gender equality. This target would allow the world to focus on protecting the rights of the most vulnerable people in the world in its efforts to achieve sustainable economic development and overcome poverty. Alternatively, consideration could be given to a dual land and property rights targetonce under a goal to eradicate hunger and undernutrition, and once under a goal to achieve gender equality. This scenario would support secure land and property rights for people who are undernourished, food insecure or at risk of being food insecure. It acknowledged the centrality of responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources for global, national and individual food security, while protecting the focus on women. Baselines for targets should take account of national contexts which can be very different, in particular in the case of land. Indicators to measure targets should be__ SMART (specific, measurable, attainable/achievable, realistic, and time-bound) Allow for broad participation of all relevant stakeholders Be harmonised to allow global aggregation Sex-disaggregated to ascertain progress for women Build on existing systems, taking into consideration existing international accountability mechanisms and monitoring processes, such as by the Committee on World Food Security on the implementation of the VGGT.

At the same time, what needs to be known to measure progress in a meaningful way and to learn lessons should not be compromised through an agreement to just measure what is already available and how it is already being measured. Indicators should be selected in such a way that they allow decisionmakers at local, national and international levels to be accountableespecially vis-a-vis the needs and interests of vulnerable and marginalized groups. // Conclusion

About the Platform The Global Donor Platform for Rural Development is a network of 37 bilateral and multilateral donors, international financing institutions, intergovernmental organisations and development agencies. Members share a common vision that agriculture, rural development and food and nutrition security (ARD and FNS) are central to poverty reduction, and a conviction that sustainable and efficient development requires a coordinated global approach.

There is evidence that responsible governance of tenure of land and other natural resources is essential to achieve lasting poverty eradication. In agreeing on meaningful targets and indicators on land and property rights, the international community will make a significant contribution towards ending poverty within our lifetime while fulfilling the vision of sustainable development.

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